RE: What's 16 bits between friends?

>  From what I have seen so far as responses, the counter arguments are:
> - there are these wonky things that maybe a few dozen 
> research sites are playing with that use 64-bits for MAC
> - changing the spec would require, like, actual work. Let's 
> just leave it alone
> 
> IMHO, those arguments don't hold water.

If your goal is to enable IPv6 to be deployed in the global Internet,
then any changes which reserve FEWER bits for interface addresses would
be counterproductive. Since IPv6 does reserve a full 64 bits for
interface addresses, that means that there are only 64 bits that can be
used in network prefixes, i.e. routing table entries. This allows router
vendors the possibility to optimize their code or their route table
storage by only allowing 64 bits of data per entry if there are no known
prefixes longer than 64 bits. Your proposal to reduce the interface bits
makes it less possible to apply such an optimization which reduces the
ability of network operators to scale up the IPv6 Internet.

Of course, there is a similar negative factor here at a higher level. By
making fundamental changes to IPv6 at this late date, we would force
vendors to change their code, and network operators to update all their
routers. These things all take time, therefore your proposed changes
would delay the deployment of IPv6 on the global Internet.

> What I'm talking about, is adjusting the specs, so that those 
> who see a need for new code, can do the work, and have it 
> continue to be considered valid as far as the RFCs are concerned.

You and your friends can do any coding that you want but the only RFC
validity that it will have is Ready For Canucks.

> Which, in turn, supports real-world use of autoconf on /80's, 

I wasn't aware that there was such a huge demand for autoconf. Reading
the trade press leads me to think the opposite.

But if you disagree with me, write a draft and see if anyone else
supports you.

--Michael Dillon

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